Rose Murray, who, in 1983, was the first author to have a book signing at the downtown shop, praised its staff for giving Torontonians an opportunity to meet culinary idols such as Julia Child, Martha Stewart, and Anthony Bourdain. She also commended the store for becoming “an important part of Canadian cookbook writing,” and for “never neglecting Canadian authors.”

Store owner Josh Josephson and long-time manager Alison Fryer received a standing ovation as they took the stage, with Fryer joking that it was “an odd experience to not have to schlep boxes of books.”

After the awards presentation hosted by Quebec cooking celebrity Ricardo Larrivée, Taste Canada national chair Karen Gelbart revealed that next year’s prizes will include a best food blog category, in partnership with the networking organization Food Bloggers of Canada. Gelbart also announced she is stepping down, to be replaced by Donna Dooher, owner of Toronto restaurant Mildred’s Temple Kitchen.

The winners of the 2014 Taste Canada awards are:

Culinary NarrativesThe Stop: How the Fight for Good Food Transformed a Community and Inspired a Movement, Nick Saul and Andrea Curtis (Random House Canada)